3.

State of
agricultural
biodiversity
management
 1. Present status of agricultural
biodiversity conservation and utilization in
Nepal

1.1 Conservation of biodiversity

1.2 Biological resources and its diversity
1.3 Existing protective mechanisms (community
forestry, agrobiodiversity and mountain
biodiversity)
 Grass roots Strategies & Initiatives
1.. Participatory Plant Breeding (PPB)
• Farmers involvement in
selection and crossing of
germplasm (breeding)

• Enhancing farmers’ skills

in plant breeding, variety
selection and promotion

• Enhances access to GRs

and provides options for
benefits sharing

3
 2. Participatory varietal selection
• 'Participatory varietal selection' offers farmers a choice of
crop varieties matched to their needs.

• The approach has been proven - and refined to become

even more client-oriented - in Ghana, Bangladesh, India
and Nepal for rice, wheat, mungbean, horsegram, maize,
chickpea, finger millet and sorghum
How to use participatory variety selection?
• PVS comprises three steps to identify preferred variety;
Situation analysis identifying farmer’s needs:
• It requires community meetings to identify, prioritize and
document specific varietal traits preferred by farmers.
Search for suitable varieties:
• Once situation analysis and identification of farmers’ needs
have been completed, a search for suitable materials will be
tested to find out farmers preferred traits for inclusion in the
selection. The varieties may be newly released or promising.
Experimentation of on farm research:
• Choosing the suitable pre/release varieties are essential to test
in diversity of socioeconomic and agro ecological conditions.
Pre/released variety along with popular variety as a check will
be grown.
 3. Community Seed Banks
• Initiation of community seed bank to enhance
access, exchange, use and management of
locally valuable, unique and endangered genetic
resources

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 4. Cross sectional strategies
a. Landscape planning approach
b. Integrating local participation
c. Institutional strengthening
d. Insitu conservation
e. Strengthening national biodiversity unit
f. Increasing support for biodiversity research and conservation
g. Endorsing local knowledge and innovations
h. Coordination and implementation of policies
i. Enhancing national capacity
j. Excitu conservation and biotechnology
k. Securing IPR and FR.
l. Biodiversity prospecting
m. EIA
n. Women in biodiversity conservation
o. Ecotourism
p. Awareness
q. Biodiversity registration
 Driving Forces for a landscape
approach
• Conservation – Development Debate
• Increasing pressure (and conflict)
• Linkage to poverty alleviation
• International Dialogues
• Indigenous rights of communities and minority groups
• Multistakeholder dialogues
• Innovations:
• Merging ecosystem thinking (emphasis on social learning)
• Attention for markets for environmental services
Characterising Landscape approach
It recognises:
 various ecosystem services (valued!)
 to multiple stakeholders,
 pursuing different land use objectives (or
livelihood strategies)
 Integrating local participation

Smallholders access market prices from

rural info kiosks, c/o Pride africa, IDRC
Institutional strengthening
Endorsing local knowledge and
innovation
 Do Farmers Innovate?
5W & 1H

What?
When?
Why?
Whom?
Which?
How?
 Do Farmers Innovate?

A traditional innovation
Do Farmers Innovate?
Do Farmers Innovate?
Do Farmers Innovate?
 Ex-situ conservation and use of
PGR: Good Practices
Farmers
Gene bank

n
tio
a
Characterization

rv
se
Evaluation

n
Co
Rejuvenation
Documentation

Exploration
Utilization
Breeders

National and
international

Improved variety Farmers

Securing IPR and FR
 Definition of Farmers’ Rights..
• Rights to Seed: Rights of farmers to save, use, sow,
exchange and sell farm-saved seed

• Promote and protect rights to traditional knowledge

• Right to participate in fair and equitable sharing of

benefits

• Right to participate in decisions making process

24
 Strategies for Ensuring Farmers’ Rights in
Genetic Resources
Prerequisites

• Farmer/community focus in R & D activities (e.g.

farmer participatory R&D such as PPB )

• Focus on In Situ On-farm rather than Ex-situ

Conservation of Genetic Resources

25
Biodiversity prospecting
Women in biodiversity
conservation
 Developing agro ecotourism

Any activity, enterprise or business that

Agritourism
links agriculture with products, services
Agrotourism and experiences in tourism.

Responsible travel to natural areas that

conserves the environment and
Ecotourism improves the well-being of local
people.
 Agro-ecotourism
Travel to rural farming communities that strive to
protect their natural and man-made resources by
using eco-friendly agricultural practices

Farm Tours

Health &
Community
Wellness: Spas,
Local remedies festivals

Culinary Historic
plantations &
Tourism agri-museums

Agro-trade
(Agribusiness)
Culinary experiences enhance All tourism
assets
“...All travellers eat and
drink

... Therefore food and drink

have a greater ability to
make long-lasting
memories than any other
kind of tourism experience
….”
What are agro-ecotourists looking for?
• Participate in food Agriculture
production (and Heritage
consumption)
Nature Adventure
• Learn about the
lives of rural
people

• Escape the hustle

of the city

• Connect with
nature
Developing conservation awareness
 Biodiversity registration

• Document TK
• SHARE
• CONSERVE
 What is CBR ?
It is a record kept in a Register book or Videos or
Tape records developed by community members to
document their biodiversity and traditional
knowledge and ways its’ management.
 What CBM entails?
 CBM is a community-based participatory methodology to strengthen
the community’s capacity through management of their own
knowledge based systems.

 Key aim is to result in more delegation of authority to the

community, develop ownership and support on-farm
conservation of agrobiodiversity and sustainable livelihood
options with minimum external inputs and risks.
1. Changing consumption patterns
2. Capacity building, training, education
and awareness raising
3. Information
4. Approach to the Planning and
Management of Land Resources
5. Combating deforestation
Combating Desertification and Drought
7. Sustainable mountain development
8. Promoting sustainable agriculture and
rural development
9. Conservation of BD
Protection and quality of water resources
Management of toxic chemicals
Strengthening the role of major groups
• Women
• Children and youth
• Indeginous people
• Local authorities
• Workers and trade unions
• Business and industry
• Farmers
Sustainable tourism
Nullifying the impact of climate
change
Grass roots Strategies /Approaches
• Community Biodiversity Registration (CBR)

• Establishment of Community Seed Bank (gene bank)

at the local level

• Farmers Participation in Genetic Resource

Enhancement and Participatory Plant Breeding (PPB)

• Creating awareness of GR at the Local Level through,

Biodiversity Fairs, Diversity Block, Rural Radio etc.

• Farmers’ participation in negotiation for Access and

Benefit sharing Agreement
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